Jackson Free Press

Showing solidarity in a neighborhood often comes from sports. Every year, neighbors spend more time watching sports with one another than actually tossing the pigskin with one another.

With physical fitness becoming more of a concern for children and adults, neighborhoods can spend their weekends together playing recreational sports instead of watching fit athletes get fitter, hustling on game day.

There are two ways to do this: a weekly pick-up game or joining a sports league.

What is the difference between a pickup game and a league?

In college, I played in a weekly soccer pickup game with my dorm mates. To get players, we used word of mouth and posted announcements on the bulletin board.

If you would like to start playing league sports, you need to know a couple of things. To help you when starting your recreational, http://www.mississippisportsvite.com is a great site.

• Find the right kind of league you want to play in: Some leagues have more experienced players or play more completive games instead of just for fun.
• To find a league to play in, use the site above or check your local city recreational league, the YMCA or your church.
• Cost: Let your players/teammates know in advance how much it will cost them to join the team .
• To find players: Try using Facebook, Twitter, go door to door, ask around at church.
• Decide how competitive you want to be, practice time and how many plays your team will run.

Most of all, whether you win or lose, have fun and enjoy the camaraderie of playing with your neighbors. You will feel better about your physical fitness and build pride in your neighborhood as well.